Dawn
by KkGgINoU
Summary: Thor believes that everything happens for a reason. That the night must be dark before the dawn arrives. Loki would like to believe that, too.
1. Twilight

A creepy little ficlet that was thought up and wouldn't give up nagging me.

AU in which TDW doesn't happen, because I don't give one about canon.

Also, in this AU, Odin is verifiably insane, and everyone is _acutely_ aware of it.

Inspired by a DeviantArt. That pretty much explains it all.

* * *

Thor strode calmly into Odin's private room. It was best to do things calmly at the moment, as Odin had lately seemed... Disturbed and temperamental.

"You... You summoned me, Father?"

Odin didn't even bother to turn around as he spoke. "Yes, son. It is regarding our prisoner."

Thor promptly blinked at said person being referred to as such by their father. "Loki. Our prisoner, whose name is Loki."

Odin growled, and Thor wondered if he had opened his mouth a bit too much.

Then, as if nothing had even happened, the ruler of Asgard continued to speak. "I, as you know, have declared that Loki is to serve his sentence out in the dungeons of Svartalfheim."

Thor winced. "Yes, Father. Everyone heard your decree."

"And so you know that it cannot be undone."

Thor sighed, "Yes, Father. But of course. Your commands are final."

"Good, now we are both on the same terms."

Thor held his breath, waiting for the other metaphorical shoe to drop.

"We shall have a ceremony in which I shall officially disown the son of Laufey, and he symbolically will begin his sentence."

"Please, Father. Do refer to him as Loki. For my sake, if nothing more."

Odin turned to face his son. "Fine, then. But in order to make his sentence more meaningful to him, I have decided that we shall ensure that he tells no more lies, indeed that he never _speaks_ a spell again."

Thor's eyebrows rose in horror. "Surely you would not subject even Loki to such a barbaric practice!"

"You question me?"

"No, Father, but... Could we not simply muzzle him, as we did in his journey here? To stitch his lips together with string is a terrible, terrible dishonor. You would shame him forever. The one who you took in as your own son."

"That is why **I** am not going to be the one to do it."

Thor paused. It would be best to proceed with utmost caution. "I see... Heimdall, then? To be abandoned by the Gatekeeper is an equally terrible fate."

"No. You."

Thor blinked. "ME? Father, why me?"

"As I said, to drive the fact that he has been disowned even further into his mind. To be shamed as such by his own brother-"

"Which is exactly why I refuse to do it. I will publicly _say_ that I disown him. I will _not_ stitch his mouth closed... That is a barbaric practice that died out centuries ago, and deserves to stay dead!"

Odin glared at him. "I trust you will make the _right_ decision Son, when the time comes. Especially since I officially command you to, as the ruler of Asgard."

Thor fought back tears. To cry in front of his Father at this time would be humiliating. And over what Odin considered to be a mere Frost Giant.

"I... Will think about it. And you shall have my decision come tomorrow."

"Good. Now, leave me to think on my own."

Thor quickly departed.

Frigga slowly approached her husband. "Odin, do you think that... Perhaps that was a bit cruel?"

"To a Frost Giant? Certainly not. We used to do it daily to their kind. It is no different now."

"To Loki, yes- but more so to Thor. He is your son, after all. To force him to do such to the one he called 'Brother'. Do you think it was harsh?"

"Absolutely not. Thor must learn to do certain things he would rather not, for the sake of Asgard."

Frigga slowly turned and began to walk away. She paused mid-step to say quietly, "For Asgard, or for you?"

 _ **Later, elsewhere...**_

"Thank you, guards. I am forever in your debt." Thor was here. Loki could live with that. Because no one in their right mind would be eager to get to the dungeons of Svartalfheim. The longer he stayed here, the better. Of course, the fact that Thor was here made no difference as to the time of his departure, but nonetheless.

Loki heard the watchman mumble something to the effect of not letting Odin know.

"Brother, how are you today?"

"Faring as well as is to be expected, thank you for asking, Thor." Loki calmly stood up, and walked to the barrier. "But you're troubled. I know that look. What did Odin do now?"

Thor didn't speak for a long while, only stood there, looking regretfully at him. It made him uncomfortable.

"Well? Did he move my sentence to commence sooner, or-" Loki tipped his head and gave a slight smile, hoping to get the silent, usually uproarious brother of his to speak.

"It sounds wonderful," Thor said in a whisper.

Loki, usually being one on his toes, lost a beat. "What? My leaving sooner? Well, I thought you wouldn't have been so blunt about it, but-"

"No. Your voice. It sounds... So wonderful."

It was Loki's turn to stare open mouthed at Thor.

"This conversation is turning into an extremely odd one; Thor are you feeling well?"

Thor looked close to tears. It made Loki wonder what was actually going on.

"Speak more, Loki, for I will not hear your wonderful voice for much longer. Speak of anything to me. Speak mindlessly, weave spells, anything you like, just let me hear your voice."

"Brother, you obviously are not quite yourself today- perhaps you ought to go rest-"

"Loki, Odin has commanded..."

Loki motioned for him to go on. "What? He has commanded what?"

"That I am to... That I..."

Loki harrumphed in frustration.

"I am to sew your mouth closed before the eyes of all Asgard tomorrow morning."

 _Sew my mouth shut? I had heard of such practices, but..._ Loki said nothing, but gave a slight grimace.

"I am as unhappy with the order as you are, Loki."

Said Jotunn tipped his head and smiled. "I doubt it." His eyebrows scrunched and his features softened as his expression turned to that of hopelessness.

Thor closed his eyes. He couldn't bear to see that face.

Loki shook his head slowly. "Do you have any idea what that will be like? They don't call me the Silvertongue just to be rude, rude as it is. My words are... If I can't speak... My voice is my life. I need my voice. Odin... Odin knows that."

"I asked Father if we could do something else instead, but he was adamant."

"How adamant? That can be changed, you know, with the proper diplomacy."

"Adamant enough."

"Point taken."

Loki walked over to a chair and sat stayed that way for several moments.

"I want you to know, I'm not going to do it."

"What?"

"I'm not going to do it. I am going to refuse tomorrow morning."

Loki was up and two inches from the barrier in less than a second. "HAVE YOU _LOST YOUR MIND_?! Do you have any idea _at all_ what Odin would _DO_ to you?"

"I have faced Father's wrath before. I am prepared to do it again."

"Then you are just as insane as he; do you understand? Odin would send us _both_ to Svartalfheim! Or worse! The All-Father would probably give _you_ a one- way Bifrost trip to Niflheim," Loki spat.

He paused. Then he paced, thought for a moment, bit his lip lightly, and then continued.

"You have to do it."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, YOU DO," Loki shouted.

"I will not shame you so, Brother. I care about you too much."

Loki paused, choosing his words carefully.

"You say you care."

Thor tossed his arms in the air for frustration. "Of course, Brother!"

Loki tipped his head and smiled, as he always did when he was sealing some sort of deal that would end with his gaining an edge. "Then let's make a deal."

"What are the terms?"

"Your part of the deal is simple. You sew my mouth, as Odin has told you to, and when my sentence is over, you are the first one I meet when I am delivered from the hands of Svartalfheim."

Thor blinked. "You had better come up with something of equal value in return."

"I promise full compliance during your task. There will be no struggle. I shall not even move my head to stop you."

"That is not nearly enou-"

"And I shall make the utmost effort to survive my sentence, so that you will meet _me_ on Svartalfheim, and not a corpse."

"They are not permitted to kill you, that I was aware."

Loki's brow scrunched. "Do you trust the dwarves of the prisons of Svartalfheim?"

Thor shook his head. "No. But come to think of it, I don't trust you, either."

Loki smiled. "And you shouldn't." His face changed to that of earnestness. "But if you don't now, it shall be of serious consequence... so what do you think? Willing to ally yourself with an old enemy, in order to counter the cruelty of an old friend?"

Thor's brows knit close together as he thought worriedly.

 _Idiot,_ Loki thought to himself. _He has absolutely no idea of how dangerous this all is. And I had probably best keep him ignorant of it anyways. He will see soon enough, when he brings me home, what I have spared him from. That is, if he has enough sense to accept the offer._ Of course, Thor's occasional Brainless Courage could strike at any moment, and that really wasn't much of a relief at all.

Thor turned away and walked out of the room without accepting nor denying Loki's offer.

Now it was Loki's turn to be worried. If Thor didn't accept... they were both just as good as dead.

 ** _Early the next morning..._**

Thor looked out from the balcony at the sun-drenched city. He had stood there since the dawn, and there had not been even so much as a cloud to threaten the sunshine. It was a perfect day. He scowled. The day was too perfect for the events that were to transpire. On a day like this, a family ought to go on a picnic in a grassy field, carefree and joyful. The mother shouldn't have to be weaving a spell to render her youngest child without a voice. The eldest son shouldn't be stranded in the palace, fearfully awaiting the hour that he would have to torture his younger brother. The youngest son shouldn't be held in the dungeons, awaiting the administration of aforementioned action. The father most certainly shouldn't be merrymaking in the great hall, in the exact same place where his son would be subjected to publicized shame and agony in only a few hours.

Thor hissed and whirled around to face the knocking on the door. "WHAT IS IT," he snarled at the servant.

The servant cowered in fear and timidly replied, "Sir, the king requests that you come to the feast. He says that you were not present at all during the night- he is worried about you."

"Why should he worry?" Thor spat back at the servant. "I am not hurt any more than he has inflicted upon my spirits."

"Sir?"

"Nothing."

"Well, sir- he also says that if you cannot attend, that I am to aid you in readying for the ceremony."

"I do not care about any formalities for the ceremony... Is it not that I am to deliver Loki into the hands of the dwarf jailors of Svartalfheim as soon as the ceremony is over?"

"Err... yes, sir. It is true."

"Then I shall attend the ceremony in my traveling clothes."

The servant thought about protesting, paused, and then simply answered, "Yes, sir. I shall notify Odin." He promptly left.

Thor sat down in his chair and began to silently weep.

 ** _A bit Later..._**

Loki was sitting against the foot of his bed (cot?), tossing some sort of ball against the barrier. It would always bounce back to him, and he would toss again. It was somewhat monotonous, but he would prefer that to the alternative. Anything would be preferable to _that_.

He still had not heard from Thor. In fact, they hadn't spoken at all since the meeting the afternoon before. He still didn't know what Thor's decision would be. He hoped that his brother would be sensible (was that even a word for Thor?), and wouldn't do something that everyone (EVERYONE!) would regret later.

He absently bounced the ball again, but this time, a few guards had turned off the barrier, and instead of bouncing back to him, the ball went sailing away.

Loki winced. There was only one possible answer for what was happening. He knew that they were trained for speed and little mercy, so he decided that standing would be a complete waste of precious time and energy.

One of the guards promptly pinned him to the floor, and latched a metal collar around his neck. Now, he was perfectly fine with the whole 'muzzle' thing. That made sense. At least, it somewhat made sense. But the collar? That was a problem. It didn't even block his Seidr, and it was all just for show. So that they could (of sorts) prove that they had beaten him. No free Aesir would ever permit such indignity; they would die first. He, however, was little more than a monster in their eyes, and he wasn't even Aesir, and it shouldn't have bothered him.

Of course, for all points of argument, he only had a problem with it was because they had locked it far, far too tightly today. Unlike its behavior in the previous trial, today the collar had caught a part of his flesh inside the hinge, and was somewhat constricting his airway.

The guards proceeded to lock him in all sorts of chains and lead him away. There were eight of them (fully armed, no less) to escort him, which, admittedly, he did consider a bit much. Even for him.

It also wasn't as much of leading as dragging, as he was being hauled across the floor most of the time. The collar wrenched and tore at the skin, and the blood had already begun to soak into his clothing by the time they arrived before the Great Hall. They allowed him to stand just before they entered, and proceeded at a much more leisurely pace.

Loki had been told earlier that he was to be in full dress for the ceremony, and he winced as the entire hall applauded his captivity. Loki lifted his eyes ahead, where he saw Odin sitting leisurely on the throne, with Thor on his right and Frigga on his left.

They came to a halt just before the steps to the throne. Loki smiled. He remembered fondly the time when he himself had sat there. But this time he was not on the throne. Instead, he was standing before Odin, being mockingly applauded and cursed by the crowds with derogatory names, that he daren't repeat on the pains of Holmgang.

Just when he felt as if the jeering would never stop, Odin brought the blunt end of Gungnir down upon the floor, and it resounded throughout the entire hall. Then came possibly the most stifling silence that Loki had ever beheld in his life.

Odin finally spoke. "Loki Laufeyson. In a prior session of this court, you were sentenced to the dungeons of Svartalfheim. do you deny this?"

Loki managed to rasp though his collar, "No, All-Father. I-" he paused. "I do not deny it."

"In order that you shall receive your full due punishment, I have decided to officially strip you of all former titles and privileges, in front of all of Asgard as witness."

Loki slowly sank to his knees. "Yes, All-Father," he remembered hearing himself saying."

"And now," Odin said. "The first punishment of your sentence is to take place here, before your journey to Svartalfheim. Thor?"

Thor slowly descended the stairs bearing something in his hands, that Loki could soon see was the needle and thread.

Another guard came up in front of him and pushed him, and he sprawled supine onto the hard floor.

The other five guards promptly pulled taut on the chains, rendering him spread-eagle and completely immobile.

Thor turned to face Odin. "Father, I have a demand, and only if that condition is met will I complete my task."

Loki began to stew in frustration. _If you weren't going to do it, then you should have just said so before; you're going to get us both killed!_

"What is it, my son?"

"Loki must be released from the chains. He must sit, not be laying on the floor."

"Very well."

Loki looked up in surprise as he was hoisted to his feet and the chains were loosened and taken away. He tenderly rubbed his wrists, which were already rubbed raw by the metal cuffs. A bench was placed down next to him, and he sat down without so much as a witty retort.

Thor dipped his head in acknowledgement to Odin, and then approached his brother.

"Well, I see you decided to go through with it, after all," Loki whispered out of earshot of everyone else.

"I just hope that we both don't live to regret it."

"Believe me, Brother, as do I." Loki paused. "Well, get on with it. The more time wasted, the longer this will take."

Loki closed his eyes as Thor made ready for the first stitch on the side of his mouth.

Thor looked down at his brother- so formal, still elegant. Still refusing to lose his dignity over such barbaric things.

Thor gritted his teeth, then quickly forced the needle down- the very first stitch. Loki's eyes flew open, and he grunted in discomfort.

Thor completed the second stitch. The third. Loki began to moan. Thor stopped and held the needle.

"Loki! You promised me!"

Loki opened his eyes to slits and gave a slight smile, one that he could manage through the stitches. "I promised compliance, brother... not noiselessness."

"I- I can't do this, Loki."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just what I said. I will not inflict such pain upon you.

Loki stared earnestly up at him. "You've got to."

"I cannot do this."

Loki nearly fell out of the chair, he leaned so far forwards. "Then you are more a coward than I thought."

"I am not!"

"Then _prove_ it," Loki hissed. "Finish your work, Æsir!"

Thor kept going. Every so often, he would carefully wipe Loki's mouth, so as to not cause his younger brother any more harm than necessary.

Loki held up one hand, then attempted to speak. The stitches nearly held his mouth entirely shut, and the words were barely intelligible. "If... How will I know... that it is you... when... you come to rescue... me from... Svartalfheim... if they... take away my sight... and hearing, or such?"

Thor paused, and thought for a moment. "Because I will do this." He placed his hand on Loki's left shoulder, traced the edge of his right ear, and then rubbed a circle on the right side of Loki's forehead. "That is how you know it is me. And you will respond?"

Loki repeated the first two actions, but drew a 'T' on the center of Thor's forehead. "I will know... that you... are a friend."

Thor paused. " You will likely be unable to speak for the remainer of this procedure, Brother. Any parting words to Asgard?"

"Goodbye, Brother."

Frigga turned away, tears forming in her eyes.

The citizens looked on in horror.

Thor silently wept.

Loki bore the punishment with a steeled jaw.

Not even the birds dared to sing. The wind did not venture to rustle though the trees.

Only a single sound was heard in all of Asgard.

Odin laughed.

 ** _Sometime later..._**

"I shall miss you brother." Thor wrapped his arms tightly around Loki's slight frame.

Had it been any other circumstances, Loki would have dismissed such actions as sentiment. This time, however, the gesture was welcome, and Loki leaned into the embrace.

There was so much Loki had wanted to say, and couldn't. He didn't blame Thor. Of course he didn't blame Thor. He blamed Odin. He wished he could tell Thor that. So that Thor wouldn't worry.

A single tear escaped Loki's eye. _I shall miss you too, Brother. Truly._

They were rudely interrupted by an ill-mannered dwarf, who began to rattle the chains that were locked to Loki's wrists and ankles.

"Alright, enough with all this. You've said your goodbyes." The dwarf guards promptly yanked on the chains, which caused Loki to tip over onto his side. They began to drag him away.

Loki struggled, only to scratch his face badly on the volcanic gravel. Thor winced at the sight of fresh blood staining his brother's pale skin.

Thor watched as the dwarves paused to open the gigantic doors in the side of the cliff. Loki had taken the chance to stand up, but it wasn't too long before the dwarves began to move again.

Just before he went inside, Loki turned. Thor shouted, "Fear not, Brother! Darkness always precedes the dawn, but the dawn will arrive! Await the dawn!"

Loki smiled at Thor, just before the massive granite doors closed with a final, deafening _BOOM_.

Thor winced, then turned away. He walked on in that direction for about ten minutes, until he came to a circular inscription on the ground.

"Hiemdall! Open the Birfrost!"

He was rapidly bathed in pure energy, and in a moment he was back on Asgard.

"Welcome back, Prince."

"The next time I travel on the Bifrost, Heimdall, it shall be to free my brother."

"An oath, easily made, not easily kept. I would not say such things, my liege, under the watchful eyes of Vár and the Norns."

"Then perhaps it is an unofficial promise."

Heimdall said nothing as Thor strode out of the observatory.

After Thor had mounted his horse, and ridden away, Heimdall said in a low voice, "However, I vow that I shall watch over your brother to the during his sentence, to the best of my ability, Prince of Asgard." There was a sudden breeze of seidr, as the Norns acknowledged the pledge.

What Heimdall saw, however, he never would have the courage to tell anyone.

* * *

Wow. I wanted to write a chapter, but then it just kept going and going and going as I unwraveled more of their circumstances.

Possibly the longest single chapter of a non-oneshot ever. Anyways.

Please review.

Please excuse errors.

All rights to respective owners.


	2. Midnight

Hi, guys. After last chapter's positive response, I figured the least I could do was get another one up.

Violence warnings apply. Very much so.

* * *

 _What Heimdall saw, however, he never did have the courage to tell anyone._

Loki watched as the doors to the outside closed. The Norns must have a strange sense of humor. The very last sky he would see for years wouldn't even trouble itself to be blue- but instead an ugly, greenish bronze. Even the yellowish light was still welcome, however. Once the enormous granite doors were shut, all inhabitants of the subterranean dungeon were plunged into complete darkness.

The dwarves pulled him forward. Loki knew that they were going lower and into the cliff. Every step took him further and further away from the light of day and fresh, breathable air. Loki stifled a gag. The air here was vile. Polluted. The odor of mold and rot was everywhere, accented with the ominous scent of fear.

Loki's boots squished in the mud on the floor. Knowing well that the dungeons were shielded from the outside precipitation, he put the question of the origin of the moisture out of his mind.

They continued to descend down the corridor. There were twists and turns in their path, almost like a Midgardian Labyrinth. Loki couldn't understand how the dwarves could even see down in the inky blackness. His eyes were beginning to adjust, but still. He was as good as blind. Although... It wasn't as if he could do anything about it, either.

Finally, they came to a archway. The dwarves pulled him in, and the door was shut behind him.

Loki wished that his hands were free, at least. The wraps that kept his hands closed felt like they were stifling his entire being, and he hated them with all the same fervor of malice with which he resented Odin.

The dwarves hauled him to the center of the room. They fastened the chains to the ceiling and walls, and hoisted him up, so that his feet could not touch the floor.

Loki let out a guttural growl as the dwarves took up small blades and began cutting away his clothing. Certainly he had expected to be stripped, and yet... He really liked his greatcoat. Really. And soon it was just shards of fabric lying in a pile, along with the rest of his leather. The dwarves had at least left him with a loincloth, thank goodness. Still, his wardrobe had always been a source of pride for him, and then it was just... Gone.

All of the dwarves silently exited the room, leaving Loki alone.

At the time, Loki thought it was just to put him off- to make him lose a beat. He would quickly be grateful for the rest.

 _ **Much, much, much later...**_

Loki blinked. At least, he thought he blinked. It was hard to tell.

What with the poison, and all. Nothing could stop the fire. Nothing ever would. It burned incessantly.

His eyes... His ears... He couldn't see the serpent above him, and he couldn't even hear him now, either. No eyes. No ears. No voice.

What was he, even? What shadow of a man would Thor find when he returned? When would Thor return? Would there even be a shadow left? There had to be. He'd promised Thor. It had just been so long... Loki would have wept, but his damaged eyes could make no tears.

Another splash of liquid fire dropped into his eyes from above. Loki blinked it away. At least, he thought he did. It was hard to tell.

 _ **Two months prior...**_

 _Nothing seemed to help. He had tried to distract himself. The lashings he could take._

 _The dwarves would come in first thing each morning, and beat him unconscious with a whip. He could predict exactly how many lashes would make him go unconscious. He'd had it distilled to an art._

 _Then they started doing different things. Drowning. Lacerations. Deprivation. Branding. Always different. Random. Unpredictable. It reminded him of himself. And he hated that. No one was supposed to be able to copy him._

 _Then there was... It._

 _He hated It. It was vile, cruel, and otherwise barbaric. The Midgardians called it a 'rack'. He called it 'the bane of my very existence'._

 _The dwarves twisted the screws again. Loki would have screamed, if his lips weren't sewn shut. As it were, he simply made a sound like a falcon combined with a drownin_ _g feline. The dwarves only laughed maniacally, and pushed harder on the screws._

 _Loki knew the strain on his torso was too much. He couldn't breathe. His muscles rippled as he tried to compensate for the stress._

 _He heard a loud pop. It was accompanied by a wave of pain that he was all too familiar with. His eyes bulged, and he let out a moan. He shakily looked to his right. The shoulder joint was contorted into a strange, unnatural position. Dislocated- good. It would right itself eventually. He would only have to worry if they kept going._

 _Loki hung his head. Suddenly, the dwarves were swarming him, loosing the chains. He tumbled to the ground unceremoniously, and he didn't bother with getting up. The arm snapped back into its socket, and he moaned again._

 _The dwarves grabbed the chains, and began dragging him away. He didn't have nearly enough strength to fight them, so he let them drag him across the perpetually muddy floor._

 _The dwarves lugged him down the hallway. Loki puzzled over the new territory. They were obviously headed even deeper into the prison._

 _The air down here was cool, and, compared to the other areas of the prison, relatively clean. Loki took a deep breath of it, and it felt like life had entered him for the first time in... Months. Obviously no one bothered to come down to the bowels of the prison._

 _There was no mud here- only a hard-packed dirt floor. For a quick moment, Loki dreamt that he was back in Asgard. Thor was there. Frigga was there. Volstagg and Fandral were there, too. It was nice. It didn't last long._

 _They came to an archway, and the dwarves bundled Loki inside._

 _The room was probably the largest in the entire complex. It looked to be the size of Heimdall's observatory, except for a slightly lower ceiling._

 _There were torches in a ring around a curved stone slab in the center of the room. The dwarves hauled him up to the stone and rendered him spread-eagle over it._

 _Loki caught a glimpse of two silver rods positioned over his collarbones, and two more (with prongs) on either side of his torso before another dwarf grabbed his hair near the scalp, and forced him to look upwards._

 _He never saw it coming._

 _He felt a sharp, stabbing pain seemingly everywhere all at once, and found that he could not move his head to look without mangling himself further. He nearly screamed, but his mouth didn't open quite far enough because of the stitches. The dwarves secured him to the stone, and left out the archway. Leaving him alone._

 _Loki didn't waste energy trying to move- he knew that movement was out of the question. The rods that the dwarves had impaled him on forbade it. He winced. Helpless. Immobile. Likely left to die in the bowels of the prison._

 _Suddenly, he heard a rattling hiss from above. He strained his eyes, attempting to see past the torchlight._

 _It was a serpent. A huge snake, chained to the ceiling, and, Loki realized, quite possibly equally as uncomfortable as he was. Loki's mouth widened, disregarding the strain and pull on the stitches._

 _It gave off another hiss, and a single, little golden orb dripped from its gaping jaws._

 _Loki screamed._

 _ **In the present, on Asgard...**_

"Father!" Thor strode across the floor of the great hall to Odin's throne. "I would like to speak with you."

Odin smiled with a benevolent expression in his single blue eye. "Yes, Thor?"

Thor returned the smile.

"Thor, this is the first time I've seen you of good spirits in... Months."

"Yes, Father. Thank you- I... I was thinking... Today is the first anniversary of Loki's imprisonment on Svartalfheim."

"Indeed! Thor, this is indeed a time for good spirits!"

"Father, I wanted to ask you if... Perhaps if you would... Declare Loki's sentence to be fulfilled. That he might be returned to us."

Odin's countenance changed instantaneously. "Why should I release a killer and a traitor from paying his dues?"

"Father, Loki has indeed payed his dues many times over. Is it not time that he would return to us? Even if he were kept in a cell, he would yet be home. Back among us."

"No, Thor. And we shall not speak of this again. You may go back about your business."

Thor quickly turned on his heel, and strode out of the great hall.

Sif and the Warriors Three were waiting outside.

"What did he say, Thor?" Sid sounded genuinely concerned, a far cry from her usual opinion of Loki.

"Come, my friends. We will go to Svartalfheim to free my brother!" Thor cried happily.

The Warriors Three let out a cheer, and ran to the stables, leaving Sif and Thor at the entrance of the great hall.

"Did he really say that, Thor? Or are you defying him again?"

Thor said nothing, only ran to catch up to the Warriors Three.

 _ **Later, on Svartalfheim...**_

Loki blinked. He felt a sensation that was unfamiliar. The serpent had receded, as it always did when it felt threatened. The entire complex seemed to be shaking- an earthquake, perhaps? A single, wonderful thought came to him- that perhaps he would be buried alive in the prison when the roof collapsed.

The shaking persisted for almost half an hour, at least, what he thought was half an hour.

Suddenly, there was a rush of cool air from outside. Loki hesitated to turn his head, as the skin around the rods had closed over, and he didn't want to risk strangling himself on accident.

He shuddered to think of what the dwarves would come up with next, he was already blinded and deafened- what more could they possibly do?

Suddenly, strong, smooth hands caressed his right arm to the wrist, and the chains quickly fell away. The hand wraps were quick to follow.

The dwarves had always kept the same chains on him, and his arms had never truly been free. His hands had not been allowed to open since the very first day.

The stranger made quick work of the remaining shackles, and Loki's appendages were soon free to move. That notwithstanding, they did not. The muscles were far too atrophied to even attempt movement.

Loki was sure that he blushed in self consciousness . The small pair of trousers that the dwarves had let him keep had long since disintegrated. Whoever the stranger was could see... Well, everything.

The stranger hesitated to remove the bars. Loki attempted to squirm, to show his liberator that the rods would be better removed.

Soon, the rods slid gently out, and Loki was free entirely. Strong hands gathered Loki's decrepit arms to his sides. The same was done for his legs.

A gentle hand gripped his left shoulder. He eagerly awaited the next action. He felt a brush around his burned ear, and a small circle was softly rubbed on his forehead.

 _Thor_.

...

"Brother?" Thor peeked inside the doorway. This was where the dwarf had said that Loki was being kept, at least, before Thor had... Well, he'd rather not think about that. "Brother!"

Loki was completely naked and chained to a rock in the center of a ring of torches. He was not struggling- indeed it seemed as though he were either resigned to his fate, or dead.

"Oh, Loki..." Thor was by his side in an instant. He realized that Loki was not dead, but was completely immobilized.

"Loki- I'm so sorry; I promise that I won't ever leave you again. Not like this." Loki did not respond to him, and it was all to obvious that Loki could not hear.

Loki was pitiful. A network of scars laced around his entire body. He looked terribly thin and deathly pale... Well... All except for his face. On his face, a mess of dried blood and coagulated fluids had collected in his eye sockets and ran down the sides of his head. Thor couldn't even see Loki's actual eyes. The angry red mark spread all the way down to his ears (which were rather burnt, as well) , and the hairs caught in its wake had turned pure white.

There were also several rods, one end thrust into Loki's neck or abdomen, and the other connected to unseen walls.

"Oh, Loki. I'm so sorry this happened..." Thor gently caressed Loki's right arm, and quickly released the rusted shackle. He broke the other three on Loki's left wrist and ankles, but stopped when he came to the rods.

"Of all the barbaric..."

Loki shifted unexpectedly, and made a sound like a groan. "Loki, don't move; you'll hurt yourself-"

Thor quickly slid the bars out, shocked when he realized how smoothly they yielded. He looked closely at the wounds, and realized that they had already healed somewhat- like a piercing.

"Oh, Loki. I'm so sorry I didn't come to get you sooner." Loki remained motionless, and Thor gently moved his brother's arms to rest, instead of being spread wide over the rock. He did the same for Loki's legs, and the younger one winced in discomfort. Obviously- he had been in a single position for likely months.

Thor suddenly remembered his signal to Loki. Loki didn't even know who he was. He quickly performed the actions in sequence, and Loki's sightless gaze lit with recognition, and, briefly, happiness.

"Come, now, brother. Let us depart from this terrible place." Thor picked him up, bridal style, and Loki groaned again.

They exited the archway to find Sif and the Warriors Three standing outside.

"You found him!" Volstagg smiled broadly in the darkness.

"Yes, my friends! Loki is finally free!"

Sif looked around warily. "I think we should get out of here. We may have surprised those dwarves once, but they won't make the same mistake again."

"Indeed, Sif, you are correct. I will guide Loki. You address the dwarves."

Hogun tilted his head in curiosity.

"Destroy this unholy place."

The Warriors Three gave a yell, and plunged ahead into the darkness.

Sif stayed behind with Thor, who carried his brother.

In little time they emerged on the surface. Well, it was more like they were chased out into the blinding sun. Nevertheless, they fled out of the shattered granite doors, and into the free, fresh air. The dwarves, brandishing spears and swords and axes, followed close on their heels.

Sif and the Warriors Three were warding the unhappy dwarves away. Loki had (barely) stood on his own two feet soon (does halfway out count?) after being rescued, so both Thor and Loki continued to run towards the Bifrost site, the latter stumbling most of the way. Still, Loki could obviously not see, so he gripped Thor's hand to guide him. (To be entirely and completely honest, it was more like Thor dragging Loki, but nevertheless...)

"Thor!" Fandral called from behind. "Your turn!"

Thor spun around with Mjolnir in his hand. The action caught Loki by surprise, and said Jotnar slipped on the rocks and scratched his ankles on the volcanic gravel.

Sif and the Warriors Three dashed to catch up to Thor and Loki, and when they did so, they turned to face the dwarves.

Thor unleashed a bolt of lightning on the prison, and the entire cliff side collapsed in on itself in a cloud of dust and rubble.

The dwarves stopped cold in their tracks, and quickly turned to flee in utter fear before the six foreigners.

...

They made good time to the Bifrost site. It seemed as though even the nature of Svartalfheim approved of their action, as the sky had went out of it's way to be clear and ever-so-slightly blue. Thor just wished that Loki could have seen it.

He also wished that he would have troubled himself to bring a change of clothes for Loki- at least a cloak, for it was somewhat chilly. Definitely not a good time to be caught without clothes in the elements.

Thor could tell that Loki was still rather uneasy, as he had gripped Thor's hand as if it were life itself, even when Thor was actually holding him up partially.

Loki, for his part, was not complaining, only walking (limping and stumbling) and staring blankly forward.

When they made it to the Bifrost, Thor told Sif and the Warriors Three to go on ahead of him.

"Tell Father that I forced you to come with me. Tell him that you turned on me, and escaped just before I accidentally collapsed the prison in on Loki and myself. He will not send search parties out for us, and it will be best if he thinks Loki dead."

Sif simply nodded, and walked to the center of the circle. Hogun did the same.

Fandral, on the other hand, protested. "But- where will you go? You can't go back to Asgard. You won't be safe here, either."

"Do not worry, Fandral. I will be safe. Just take the message to Odin."

Fandral took a bit of convincing, but he eventually followed Sif and Hogun.

Volstagg said nothing, only wrapped Thor in a crushing hug before he walked to the circle.

"Heimdall! Open up the Bifrost." Sif called up to the sky. Immediately the four of them were bathed in the familiar rainbow of the Bifrost, and whisked away.

Loki seemed to recognize the Bifrost energy, because as soon as Sif and the Warriors Three departed, he began whimpering.

Thor turned to his brother, who had knelt, shivering, on the ground.

"No! Brother, they did not abandon us. We are just not going back to Asgard with them. We are going to Midgard, instead." It did not appear to have the desired effect on Loki. Thor silently cursed himself when he remembered that Loki could not hear him. Speaking was useless.

Thor took off his cape, and wrapped Loki in it. Loki seemed to be calmed somewhat by this, and leaned into Thor's touch. They sat that way for some time, before Thor decided that it was safe to attempt the Bifrost again.

He carried Loki to into the Bifrost site, and called to Heimdall. They were soon back in the Observatory.

"Thank you, Gatekeeper." Thor said as soon as his feet were on solid ground. "Now, if it would not be too much trouble, would you open a Bifrost portal to the Man of Iron's Tower on Midgard?"

"Certainly, sir." Heimdall gave a rare, slight smile. "However, I would like to bring to your attention that, after your friends arrived, I made the provision of clothing for your charge." He motioned to Loki, and then to a bundle of clothes my the wall.

Thor helped Loki to the wall, and aided him in putting Heimdall's gift on. It wasn't much- just a pair of black trousers, a grey tunic with leather belt, and a dark green hooded cloak. It wasn't much, and it wasn't elaborate, but it was something.

Loki turned to where (he thought) Heimdall was and gave a grateful bow of thanks. He ended up bowing to the far wall, as Heimdall had moved, but the Gatekeeper seemed to understand.

"Thank you, Heimdall." Thor said as the made ready to jump to Midgard. "How can I ever repay you for your kindness?"

"No payment is needed, Son of Odin," Heimdall rumbled in his deep baritone. "In declaring yourself to be dead, as you have done, you have given up your claim to the throne. You do it on your brother's behalf; I believe that anyone would consider that payment enough." Heimdall smiled again, and opened the Bifrost to Midgard. "Now, go. Your brother will need you."

Loki visibly shuddered as he felt the energy from the Bifrost radiating out from the archway.

Thor picked him up, bridal style, and walked into the flashing colors.

 _ **Elswhere...**_

Tony Stark smiled. Today was a nice day. No chaos. No calamities. Everyone else was gone on some business or another. Clint and Natasha were off on some secret SHIELD business. Thor was... Wherever he was. Steve and Bruce had gone off to do... Something. He honestly didn't really pay attention to what they had said. Just that they would be leaving. Heck- he didn't even know when they would be back. And he really didn't care.

It was just him and JARVIS tonight. It might have been better with Pepper, but he would take what he could get.

Tony picked up his book. He didn't really feel like inventing, even. After all, it was a dark, stormy night- yeah, prefect cliché material, and one that would best be spent drinking champagne and reading a murder mystery novel in front of a fireplace. He had all three, and he wasn't going to complain.

He had just finished the first chapter of And Then There Were None when he heard (And felt) a massive crash from outside that shook the building.

"JARVIS, lights; 70% brightness, please." The entire floor was instantaneously illuminated in a gentle yellow glow.

"Sir, it seems as though a meteorite has struck the Tower."

Tony sighed unhappily. "Well, it wasn't as if anything really important had happened in the book, anyways. Where'd it hit?"

"It appears to have struck the Landing Deck, sir."

"Great. Anything important damaged?"

"No, sir. It has imbedded itself in the balcony... Sir, I seem to be mistaken. The meteorite seems to be moving."

Tony knew that any alien... whatever... usually weren't something to be taken lightly. "Meaning?"

"I apologize, Sir. It is only Thor. Although, how he crashed into the balcony is quite beyond me."

Tony stood up and jogged to the glass overlooking the balcony. "Aww, come on, Point Break," he muttered to himself. He put on a half-poncho that he kept on a hook nearby for just such an occasion, and walked out into the rain where Thor could see him. "Do you have any idea how much that's gonna cost me to repair? Labor costs, repair time... "

"Man of Iron! I apologize for the... Untimely intrusion." Thor shifted the bundle that was in his hands. "But I... ah... _We_ request asylum for the night." By this time, both Thor and what he was carrying were completely soaked from the heavy rain.

Tony's brow scrunched as he tried to identify exactly what Thor was carrying. "Well, unless you're addressing a rug as a 'we', I honestly don't see why not." As if in response, the shape shifted in Thor's arms, revealing what looked like a person's feet.

A bolt of lightning shot through the sky, and thunder boomed after it. "You could get struck by lightning out here." Tony blinked as he thought. "You know- not that it would really matter to you, Thunder Guy, but your friend there might not handle it so well." He gestured to Thor's friend, who made a groaning sound over the rain.

"Thank you, Man of Iron. Your kindness is most appreciated." Thor carried his bundle across the balcony and inside where they were shielded from the rain.

Tony walked inside after them. Thor had already sat the soaked green bundle next to a chair, and they were both making puddles on the floor.

"Here- I'll... uhh... get some towels for you to dry off with." Tony jogged over to the floor's 'emergency closet' where they stored everything that might be needed at a moment's notice from a first aid kit to a mobile defibrillator to parachutes (That was Hawkeye's idea- in case the building needed to evacuated _quickly_ ). He grabbed a few white bath towels, and walked back over to where Thor was.

Thor quickly threw a towel over his own shoulders, and then proceeded to make his friend comfortable with one. The person did not seem to like this, and began shying away from Thor. Tony found it odd that Thor hadn't said anything to the... well, he could see that it was quite obviously a man.

Tony still couldn't see exactly who was underneath the hood. "Thor, just out of curiosity," Tony said as he took his poncho off and began shaking it out in a pre-made puddle. "Who is that?"

Thor grimaced, and then gently coaxed the hood off of the wearer's head. "Man of Iron, I am sure you remember-"

The long, black hair was too familiar. The cheekbones were incriminating. But the eyes- there were no eyes. In their place laid a disgusting crust of blood and blisters and fluids. It spread across his entire orbital margin, and the hair that it touched... well, let's just say Loki had graying sideburns. Even more horrifying were the _stitches_. Loki's mouth was entirely sewn shut. The black threads were all-too obvious against the pale, though inflamed, skin.

"Loki?" Tony gasped. "But-" Tony faltered as he tried to come up with an explanation for the hideous, mangled face before him. "That cannot be Loki."

"It, unfortunately, is my brother, Man of Iron." Thor rubbed Loki's shoulders and sighed deeply.

Tony stood in shock for a few seconds, but then the 'Jerk-ish' side of him just sort of woke up and decided that it wanted to be heard.

"You know, I can't actually keep you here now."

Thor stared at him incredulously.

"I know I said you could- it's just that... You know, as much as I hate 'em, SHIELD still has a fight to pick with Loki, here."

"But-"

"It would be aiding and abetting a wanted criminal."

Thor interrupted him. "But that is why I came here, Man of Iron. SHIELD would not dare come here without your permission on the pains of Holmgang."

"Holmgang?"

JARVIS spoke up. "I believe he means a law suit, Sir."

"Oh..." Tony shrugged. "That's probably true."

Thor smiled brightly, and Tony just couldn't help giving him a strange look. "That is why I came here. STARK Tower is possibly the safest place in all of Midgard for Loki."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Well, you know- not entirely. I'm still put off at him, too." He smiled. "Isn't that right, Reindeer Games?" He gently hit Loki on the shoulder.

He did not expect what happened next.

Loki recoiled, and gave the mute equivalent of a shriek. He practically fell over, and curled up in a fetal position, his entire body convulsing as if he were having a seizure.

"What? What did I do?"

"He does not know who you are!" Thor cried. "He cannot see you!" As if reading Tony's mind, he followed with, "He cannot hear you, either. He is blind and deaf and mute- for all he knows, someone is attacking him, and I am letting them do it!" Thor picked Loki up into his lap, and held him in a tight hug.

Tony watched as Thor attempted to comfort his maimed little brother. Loki wasn't crying (that made sense, Tony couldn't even see his eyes, and he was sure that they were beyond redemption) but he was shuddering, and breathing hard as if he would have cried if he could.

"Look, I-" Tony put his head in his hands, and deflated slightly. He looked on in pity at Thor and Loki. "I didn't mean to send him into a panic attack. I- I know how awful that feels..."

Thor looked up at him briefly before turning his attention back to Loki.

"Is... is there anything I can do? Maybe get you two down to Medical? I don't know how to work any of that stuff, but it might be better to keep him there." Tony noticed for the first time that Loki's face was incredibly filthy. "We can clean him up, and... yeah. You know, everybody's gone, so there won't be too much bull to deal with." He paused as he caught a glimpse of what looked like holes in Loki's collarbone. "I think I'll actually call Bruce up, and get him here."

"I am sorry for any inconvenience this causes to your private time, Man of Iron."

Tony shrugged as he dialed Bruce up on his phone. "Don't mention it. I didn't have much to do, anyways." The doctor picked up on the second ring.

"Banner here. What did you do this time, Tony?"

"Actually, I'm calling on behalf of a friend."

"This had better be important."

"As in... like... how important?"

"As in, Steve, believe it or not, does know how to party like it's 1999, and I'm actually having a lot of fun... As in, I'm sure that JARVIS can help you out with pretty much anything less serious than a broken bone. Like a soldering singe."

"Like a chemical burn?"

Banner lost a step on the other end of the line. "A chemical burn? With what? How bad?"

"Firstly, yes it's a chemical burn. Secondly, I don't know with what. Thirdly, there's bleeding and blisters and a lot of other stuff. And fourthly, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, FORGET THE PARTY, BRUCE, IT'S ON HIS FACE!"

Thor looked up when Tony shouted, evidently surprised that he could even be that loud.

"I'm sorry, Bruce... just.. could you get over here? We're gonna move him to the Medical Wing, but I don't know how to work any of that stuff."

"Don't say you're sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. I- I know that you wouldn't have called me if it wasn't serious. I'll be there as soon as I can." Tony heard a 'Come on, Steve, we gotta go!' on the other end of the line before he hung up.

Tony turned back to Thor, who had coaxed Loki to stand up.

"Let's get him to Medical."

Thor paused for a second, then said, "First, perhaps it would be best if Loki knew who you are, so he can know where he is, as well."

"How do I do that?"

"Perhaps... Draw a 'T' on his forehead with your finger."

Tony gave him a questioning look.

"To tell him that you are a friend. Then... you have a very distinctive cologne. Perhaps if you let him smell it, he might remember you."

"I think I have a better idea."

Tony walked up to Loki, who seemed to sense his approach.

He slowly drew the 'T', as Thor had said. "I'm a friend, see? You can trust me. Thor wouldn't have showed me your code if he didn't think I'd be friendly to you, would he have?" Loki seemed to relax some after the action, but he was still noticeably tense.

Tony then gently picked up Loki's hand (which was _unreasonably_ thin and decrepit-looking, by the way), and let the blind-deaf man run his hand across his goatee. "See, you remember me, don't you?" Then the arc reactor. Loki seemingly followed his hand with what would have been his eyes as intently as if he were seeing. As soon as his hand touched the arc reactor, Loki's head shot up in recognition. "You DO remember me, then."

Loki's eyes widened, and he made a sound that would have been a screech if his mouth were free, before promptly recoiling in fear again.

Tony, however, kept a hold of his hand, and again drew the 'T' symbol on Loki's forehead. "Tony Stark is a friend! I'm a friend, see? I'm not going to hurt you."

In the back of his mind, he was thinking how incredibly stupid it was for him to be talking to a deaf man, but it was for himself, really. Just a reassurance that he was actually talking to someone (sort of), and not going nuts.

Loki seemed to slowly relax- for the first time since he got here.

He made a series of muffled sounds- which Tony took to be, 'Thank you for reassuring me, I feel much better now.' Of course, it probably wasn't that, but it sounded nice. Much less anxious.

Loki brought his hand around, and gripped Tony's hand. Tony gasped, as Loki was actually quite weak, instead of his usual super-strength. It felt as if he were being held onto by a child.

...

Loki did not fuss as Thor and who he now knew was Tony Stark helped him walk to the (ele-vator, the Midgardians called it? The thing that carried passengers between the levels of a building...) and then into another room. He didn't even shudder as they laid him on the cot in the cold, antiseptic smelling room. The cot wasn't exactly a bed, but it wasn't that horrid rock.

It wasn't as if he actually trusted Anthony Stark, but he didn't mistrust him, either. The human had made signals on his forehead, though, so Thor obviously trusted Stark.

And if Thor trusted Stark, Loki didn't see a reason why he shouldn't, either. The fact that Thor's Aesir friends had tormented him endlessly in his youth made no difference.

One of them- Thor, presumably- took off the soaked clothes that he had gotten from Heimdall, the Gatekeeper. In turn, they redressed him in a gown of very light fabric.

Loki felt one of them place a cool, cloth on his face. The cloth moved across his face, cleaning off the caked dirt and grime. They were being extremely gentle- more gentle than Loki thought was even possible for either of his two helpers. His caretaker spent extra time cleaning the mess from around his ruined eyes.

It was the first little pleasant comfort that Loki had experienced in a long, long time. And he was very grateful.

* * *

Hi! So, yeah. I know that I've kind of dropped off the face of the earth recently. I've been really busy with schooling and such. I was also busy writing this monster of a chapter up.

Alright, Show of Hands in the Reviews: Who got all hot and bothered when Loki got stripped?

Please excuse errors.

All rights to respective owners.


	3. Interim Pt1

Hi, guys!

I decided to get working on this as soon as possible so that I can get to working on other stuff.

* * *

Loki patiently waited for Tony Stark and Thor to finish with their self-appointed tasks. The two people he though were possibly the most incapable of gentleness, and here they were- swabbing the sticky mess from around his eyes, wiping his arms and torso down with soapy water, and carefully wrapping bandages around his raw wrists and ankles. They also unraveled the remaining strips of leather that still were tied over Loki's hands.

He had honestly never thought that a sponge bath could feel so good. They were using warm water and soft cloths, and the smell of the soap was wonderful- like... a Midgardian fruit that he couldn't name, but that he most definitely liked nonetheless. He felt absolutely pampered.

Of course, some of that may have had to do something with his over-extended stay on Svartalfheim, but nonetheless. People cared. No one had cared this much about him since that one time he was deathly ill with the Asgardian equivalent of scarlet fever. Now, they were pampering him as if his life depended on it.

Loki appreciated that. And of all the people- _Thor_ and Tony Stark (who _both_ had helped put him in this situation _in the first_ _place_ ).

Loki followed their actions with his eyes. Any time the air currents changed, or any time that they touched him, he would look at them with his sightless eyes. Perhaps it was just reflexive. Perhaps he was still attempting to maintain the ruse of awareness. But he couldn't even hear them. He was only vaguely aware that anyone else was even present.

 _What are you, then?_ His mind asked him. _What kind of creature are you now? You're no better than that mindless beast, who makes play that he's still a man._ It hurt his pride. He was better than these humans, he was! At least, that was what he had told himself when he had invaded their world.

That's what he had told everyone.

And they had thrown it back in his face. And he was almost proud of them- of their accomplishment.

But then Odin All-father threw it back in his face again. _That_ was offending. Odin had sent him to the dungeons of Svartalfheim to be stripped away until he was little more than an animal. A beast to be worked or trodden over, depending on the master's whimsy.

He could have cried, if his eyes could make the tears.

...

Tony had to do a double-take when he saw Loki's eyes. When Loki and Thor had come in, Tony had seen that Loki's eyes were quite obviously sightless, but the blood obscured his actual eyes. Now that the bloody mess was cleared away- Tony didn't care about politeness- he _stared_. He stared for a long time.

Even without all the blood, it looked absolutely awful. The blistering was extensive- on the bridge of Loki's nose and on the top of his cheekbones, the skin had seemingly melted away- leaving bone exposed. The lower half of his eyebrows were practically nonexistent- and what was there had faded grey. His eyelids were almost gone entirely, they were burned and blistered so terribly. Even that, however, wasn't the real reason Tony was staring.

Loki's eyes were dull. Devoid of color. The piercing, brilliant sea green of his irises had faded to a milky grey, barely recognizable against the white. The pupils were gone. They were just... gone. They had faded to the grey of his irises. Tony could see that Loki's eyes still moved as if he were seeing. They shifted to 'look at' any place that their owner was touched, almost as if Loki were expecting to see them just by making it seem like he could.

Tony heard Bruce open the door to the Medical wing, and even before he turned, he knew exactly what was going to happen.

"That's Loki."

Tony turned with his usual smile plastered over his face. "Yep." He made a slight gesture to Loki, and then to Bruce. "I'm sure you know Bruce Banner- oh, wait- I forgot. You can't hear me, because your ears are half burned off, and _that's_ why you came to see us in the first place!"

"Now, now, kids," Steve chided as he walked in. "There's no need to be rud- what is _he_ doing here?"

"Please, friends- please. My brother is in desperate need of medical attention. I found him half-impaled on metal rods in a prison, and I fear that he sustained further damage in an ensuing battle."

Bruce bit his lip lightly as he thought, and then walked over to Loki (who was still sitting, albeit nervously, on the bed).

"Wait, doc-" Steve put his hands out in a defensive position. "Technically, he's still a criminal. Perhaps a dangerous one. You know what happened the last time."

Bruce looked back to Loki, who had edged shyly away from him. "Dangerous or not." He gently brushed Loki's hand, a gesture which the latter flinched away from. "He's an injured person- and I can't ignore that without my conscience keeping me up all night."

Steve shrugged. "I guess- but if you get any feeling that you're going green, you let us know, OK?"

"Umm-" Tony interrupted. "Bruce- uh... You let him know that you're not going to hurt him by drawing a capital 'T' on his forehead."

Bruce turned to him and nodded slightly before turning back to Loki. "Alright," he said, following Tony's instructions. "Let's see what we have here."

Loki visibly relaxed, and Bruce set him gently down on the cot.

Bruce smiled, though he knew even without testing that Loki couldn't see him. "Yeah- that's it. I'm OK. You're gonna be alright." He took his glasses off, and allowed Loki to run his thin fingers over the frames.

"Alright," Steve sighed as he took his shield off the clip on his back. "I guess it'll be my turn next."

"Ah-ah-ah." Bruce said, wagging his finger at Steve. "I've got to give Loki a check-up. As weird as that sounds. You get to wait in the hall." He turned to Tony. "That goes for you, too."

Steve strode out of the room, and Tony reluctantly followed.

Loki calmly began rubbing a small circle on his own forehead.

Thor piped up, once he noticed. "I believe that my brother would wish me to stay."

"I wasn't planning on kicking you out." Bruce motioned to the door. "But those two are going to be fighting."

...

Loki felt the breeze that came from the doors opening. He knew that someone had arrived, he just didn't exactly know who.

It was probably another one of Thor's friends. Maybe it was the Star-Spangled man. Or perhaps Barton. Or the lady assassin.

The newcomer walked towards him, and he shied away. He knew it wasn't Thor or Tony- he had kept definite tabs on those two.

The stranger's hands brushed Loki's. Whomever it was had to be male- as the lady would have had softer hands. These hands were rough. Calloused, but not overly so. But they weren't like Tony's or even Thor's. Naturally, Loki made an effort to get away from the offending appendages.

Loki then felt a small 'T' on his forehead. Just how many people had Thor shared the signals with?

But then, if the person was actually a danger, Thor would have told him. In one way or another.

The stranger pushed a strange object into his hands. Loki slowly ran his fingers over the cold wires. The new object intrigued him- especially when he realized that some of the wires pivoted on hinges. He handled it very gently, so as to make sure that it would not break.

The object entertained him for a little while- he was still trying to figure out what it was when he realized that someone had left the room. He panicked briefly, because he had forgotten where Thor had been, and he didn't know who had left. He rubbed a circle on his own forehead to tell Thor that he was needed- if Thor could see him.

Thor's strong, smooth hands were on his forearm immediately, and Loki began feeling rather foolish, as it was quite evident that Thor had never left at all.

Loki felt a small, round adhesive being placed on his chest. Two similar structures joined it. Now, having been violently electrocuted before through similar means, he quickly decided that the little sticky things with wires running out of them were most definitely not welcome. He quickly sat upright, and tore them off, making it known with sounds he could not hear that he would not cooperate.

He felt Thor's arms interlock with his own, and Loki scratched his fingernails against Thor's armor, tearing small cuts in the skin of his fingers. Thor still held a firm grip on him, however, and they grappled for a few seconds, Loki fully intent on keeping the small adhesive buttons off of him.

It was an irrational concern, he was fully aware. He didn't even know why he was fighting Thor. He supposed that it was just an instinctive reflex to fend off danger. But then, what danger was there? He was also fully aware that he was acting like a petulant idiot, but he didn't really care.

Suddenly, something sharp was inserted into his neck, and he fell into unconsciousness.

...

"Well, that was lively."

"Thanks for coming back, Tony. I didn't realize that he'd be so upset by the monitors."

"Well, technically I wasn't really planning on leaving anyways." Tony waved the syringe in his hand before turning to Thor. "Can you explain why I had to come back here, and not get to go hit the sack? Or for that matter, read my book?"

"I apologize for the upset, Doctor Banner. I have never seen Loki act that way- he may be insane, but he has never been so irresponsible-"

Tony caught him mid-sentence with an accusing finger pointed in the Asgardian's direction.

"You know- THAT kind of attitude is probably what got him into this situation in the first place."

Bruce put his head in his hands before turning back to his charge. There was obviously going to be a fight.

Thor gritted his teeth. "You are likening me to my brother's tormentors? How dare-"

Tony put up defensive hands. "No, no- I mean that... We all think he's irresponsible, right? But that isn't the issue. Not really...Have you ever tried to give a housecat a water bath?"

Thor raised an eyebrow. "No, Man of Iron. I cannot say that I have. We do not have small domesticated felines on Asgard."

Bruce piped up as he attempted to re-stick the monitors on Loki's prone form."Uhh- _don't_ try it. You'll get mauled by claws pretty much every time."

"I fail to see the point behind this conversation."

Tony gave a nod to Bruce for his two bits. "My point is- although Loki's head is a bag of cats, he still has... call it a basic operating system. Something that he builds everything else off of. Cats are pretty weird and schizophrenic to begin with, but they still follow patterns. And all patterns can be tracked."

Thor tipped his head in Loki's direction. "So what you are saying is... my brother's behavior is... not unpredictable. Do I understand you correctly?"

Tony smiled his trademark grin. "Pretty much." He turned back to Bruce and Loki. "I've seen stuff like that before. Usually in trauma victims. People who've been through earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, shootings, attacks from huge alien armies..."

"Soldiers," Bruce said. He paused before continuing. "Former Hostages. Torture victims."

Tony gave a slight nod, briefly remembering Afghanistan. "Yeah. When people have everything pulled out from under them, they still have a basic operating system. You could call it primal instincts."

"That I know."

"And having to rebuild who you are kinds throws you for a loop. We call it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

"Alright, you two. I'm obviously not getting any work done until you leave. So get!" Bruce good-naturedly pushed Tony out of the Medical Wing, and hauled Thor out as well.

Bruce turned back to Loki, who still had his arms splayed and was currently snoozing on the cot. "Alright, Bag of Cats. Let's see what's really up with you."

...

If anyone ever said that Waking and Sleeping were the same for the Blind/Deaf, then they had something else coming. They were completely different. It was anyhow for someone who had formerly been able to see and to hear. When sleeping, you can see, and you hear, and you actually feel a whole lot more _normal_ than you ever do when you're awake. So it's the waking hours that are really the nightmare.

Of course, it doesn't make much of a difference when you dream that you're back in a prison being tortured within an inch of your life. That had a way of dampening the spirits.

So, Loki woke up from... a rather vivid night terror, right into another one, in a manner of speaking.

The round adhesives were stuck on his chest. Again. He was very tempted to rip them off again, and he sat up stock-straight with his hand poised to complete the action before he thought better of it. There had also been a small mask that was over his nose and mouth, but that honestly didn't survive very long after he woke.

He felt the air shift around him, and he jerked his head towards where he deduced the other occupant of the room was. He could tell that his own breath was coming in haggard gasps, and he hoped to look menacing and determined.

That failed quite spectacularly. The other person (from his hands the same person who had given him the mystery object from before) calmly and gently closed his hand into a fist, and laid him back down on the cot. They also deftly replaced the small mask that had been over his face.

Loki was rather alarmed at the action, but his brow scrunched in curiosity as a clean, damp cloth was placed over his eyes. Whomever else was in this room clearly was even more skilled in bedside manner than Tony Stark or Thor. Admittedly, that really wasn't saying much, all things considered.

The person put the odd object from before into his hands, and Loki tried to relax as he attempted to figure out exactly what the object with the wires and hinges was. It took him awhile, and he was sure that his face lit up with happiness when he finally figured out that it was Midgardian 'glasses' and playfully set them over the cloth on his face, in their proper position.

Realization dawned upon him- the stranger had to have been Dr. Banner. Only Banner wore glasses, of all of the heroes.

The air shifted again, and he felt a gentle pat on the shoulder before the doctor exchanged objects with him.

This new object was quite odd- it was made of a strange, solid material. He had seen a lot of the material on his previous trip to Midgard, but he still did not know exactly what it was called.

The object seemed to be shaped like a small human, with joints for the elbows and knees, and a pivoting head.

It rather amused him, though he did not clearly understand its purpose, and he continued toying with it for as long as he was confined to the cot.

He almost forgot about the little round stickers. Almost.

...

"Short Story, or Long?"

"Long," Rogers said quickly.

"Short!" Thor and Tony crowed in unison.

Steve shot a slight glare at the other two, and Tony shrugged. "Hey, I've got a lot to do today."

"And I do not wish to hear all that my brother has suffered."

"Fair enough," Bruce observed. "Sorry, Steve, but you've been overruled."

Steve shrugged, and went to go watch Loki play with a new favorite toy- Tony had called it a 'GI Joe'. Steve had re-introduced himself to Loki a few minutes prior, and, while it was quite obvious from the screech immediately procured that Loki didn't quite trust him, it was equally evident that Loki was really not a danger. Especially seeing how he treated the little figurine.

Loki was handling the little plastic man as if it were possibly the most precious object on the face of the earth. It was only after watching Loki for a few minutes that Steve realized how capable of precision movements Loki was with his hands. Even as a blind fellow.

Aside from that, there wasn't much worth noting. Loki disliked physical contact, he didn't share well, and he was sitting cross-legged on the cot and rocking back and forth like an insane man, but that was fairly understandable. Especially considering some interesting things Steve picked up from the conversation in the far corner of the room.

"So... there was a lot that... concerned me. To say the least. I honestly don't know where to begin."

Steve listened keenly to the pregnant silence, and then heard Tony pipe up. "How about those holes? In his collarbones?"

"Those are healed-over puncture wounds." Steve saw Bruce pull up a Three-Dimensional diagram. "See... umm... it seems as though there were- Rods inserted... forcefully into Loki's body, in his shoulders and his sides."

Thor interrupted him. "Yes, I already know this- I rescued him from the prison! I saw the rods! I was the one who took them out!"

"Yeah. They were inserted in such a way... as to make general mobility impossible, without accidental strangulation. The rods were angled so that, if he moved out of position too much-" Steve saw Bruce manipulate the diagram, and saw the glowing blue design flash red. "They would crush his windpipe, and/or his internal organs. I wouldn't expect death immediately, necessarily, but eventually... Knowing his physiology, I would have given him anywhere from fifteen minutes to two days. Though, if it had happened, I would like to think it would have been quick. Because it would hurt- a lot."

"He moved on the bars when I freed him- was he harmed in doing that?"

"Well, I don't think so. If there were any damage, it was very miniscule and undetectable even for JARVIS, and it might heal on its own. We'll keep tabs on him, of course."

Steve heard Tony pipe up again. "What about the rest of him?"

"Well," Bruce gave a slightly uncharacteristic drawl. "His entire body shows the telltale signs of brutalization, of various sorts. He shows signs of daily beatings and lashings- from a while back, but still." Bruce manipulated the diagram again, and continued to do so as he spoke. "The shoulder and leg joints show signs of violent trauma. I would guess that his arms and legs were dislocated- if not torn completely off- and re-healed, multiple times. His organs seem to have taken more than their own fair share of the damage. Lots of signs of internal bleeding- from awhile ago. His hands and feet show signs of being burned considerably. Pretty much- you name the source of pain, they thought of it, too."

"Something you've forgotten." Tony crossed his arms as only he could. "His mouth. What's up with the stitches? And his eyes. They're really freaking me out."

Thor looked down as Bruce spoke of the stitches. "Yeah- those are from quite awhile back. Weird thing is, I tried to cut them, but they didn't break. The scissors just slid off."

Thor spoke for the first time in some time. "That is... an enchantment."

Bruce and Tony both turned to stare at him incredulously.

"An enchantment. My mother's enchantment." He paused for a moment, then continued. "With much regret, yes. Father forced her to weave an enchantment that would not allow the string to be severed. She must release the enchantment before the thread will be broken."

Tony looked at him in disbelief, then asked Thor a question that Steve was sure everyone was thinking. "So, if _she_ was the one who made the string unbreakable, then _that_ -" Tony motioned to Loki in the far room. "Happened in Asgard. Who on Asgard would be willing to do that? I thought you guys were better than that."

"As did I." Thor's head hung even lower. " As ashamed as I am to admit it, friends, I was the one who sewed Loki's mouth closed."

He received a collective, "WHAT?" from the entire room, including Steve.

"Indeed. And I know how Loki's eyes were afflicted to the condition they are in." He paused briefly, and resumed. "There is a type of serpent on Svartalfheim, utilized by the inhabitants for such a purpose. The serpent's venom is extremely caustic. It burns flesh over long periods of time. Knowing the state of abandonment Loki was in, the snake was likely suspended above him, and the venom dripped into his face. Knowing the stories that I have been told, it is a wonder that he did not strangle himself on the rods before I arrived."

"Anything else you'd like to tell us?" Tony asked with barely-concealed venom.

Thor did not raise his eyes. Steve could understand why.

Bruce interrupted the silence. "So... about Loki's recovery."

Thor's head immediately jerked upwards.

"It seems as though he's somewhat recovered physically. There is a lot- and I mean a lot- of scar tissue just about everywhere. He's very fragile, so even if he goes nuts, we ought to emphasize sedation, and not brute force. But he should be OK for the time being. If he opens up some of the old scars, that could potentially be a problem. If we catch it quick enough, it should be alright."

"His eyes?" Tony asked.

"Not much I can say about that. The flesh on his face will likely heal over eventually. It will probably take awhile, if what Thor says is true about the venom being caustic. I doubt that his actual eyes will ever recover, much less would he regain sight. His ears on the other hand- there's some hope for them."

Loki smacked Steve on the shoulder rather forcefully with his hand, either accidentally, or intentionally. Steve retaliated by gently wrapping his arms around Loki in a hug. Loki gave a muffled grunt, and continued to muse thoughtfully over the GI Joe figurine.

"He could possibly regain his hearing. It is a slim chance, but with the limited exposure in his ears, I'm hopeful. It shouldn't take too long to show itself if it does happen. I'd guess perhaps three or four months."

"Months?" Tony repeated incredulously.

"Yeah. But he still might regain his hearing- some of it, anyways."

Thor eyed a small tube running from his brother's arm to a bag on a stand. "What is that... thing that you have inserted into my brother's arm?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "It's just an IV line, Point Break."

"Water and electrolytes. I practically couldn't even get the IV in- the veins in his arm had nearly collapsed. Can't do it for too long, either... But I had to rehydrate him somehow." Thor looked at Bruce questioningly. "Look- alright- if his mouth has been sewn shut this whole time, he hasn't eaten. I don't know how he is still alive after that. But he showed signs of massive dehydration. He might have gone without water for-"

"Months," Thor mused regretfully. "Months, doctor."

"As I said before, it's a wonder he's still alive."

Steve finally released Loki from the hug (of which the latter was quite pleased with), stood, and walked over to the other three on the far side of the room. "We forgot something. What happens if SHIELD finds out. I mean- Clint and Natasha; we have _two_ of their assassins _living right here with us at the Tower._ They're gonna get curious. And Fury. Even his bugs have bugs."

Tony looked up at the ceiling. "JARVIS, have we intercepted any sort of bugs lately?"

"No, Sir." The AI replied flatly.

"See? JARVIS would have notified me of a security breach. Right, Jarv?"

"If you say so, Sir."

Tony made a gesture of mock bravado, as Bruce observed, "which brings us to Steve's original problem. Clint and Nat. Clint crawls around in the _air ducts_ \- there isn't any hiding from him."

Thor worriedly said, "The Hawk-Eye will have no qualms about slaying my brother on the spot. The same for the she-assassin."

"Sir," JARVIS interrupted, "As we speak, Agents Barton and Romanoff are entering the Tower."

Tony walked over to a rather random cabinet and pulled out a bottle of spirits and a shot glass. He poured himself a small amount, and set the bottle on the desk before moving to go out. "Speak of the devil. Well, I'm going to go meet our resident master assassins." He paused briefly at the door. "And as for hiding Loki- Good luck with that."

...

He was being moved. Carried. He could tell. Strong arms wrapped around his back and legs and lifted him up. He inhaled deeply, and smelled... What had to be Thor. Because Thor smelled like the woods, and wild Asgardian nuts, and the sweat of sparring practice. No one else smelled like that.

Loki leaned into Thor's arms. It felt good to be around Thor again. Loki could not believe how much he missed the old oaf.

Something sharp pulled on his arm very briefly, and Loki's head shot up in alarm. But then it subsided, and Loki decided that whatever it was must not have been too serious.

Loki made a few slight noises- he must have, because Thor put a hand over his mouth. So secrecy was important. Loki moved his hand to bat Thor's away. He didn't need to be told twice.

Thor carried him to the... Elevator, and they changed altitude. When the doors opened, Loki was greeted by a rush of fresh air. It smelled like Asgard, and like Thor. Loki suddenly felt a gentle Seidr breeze, and he whimpered silently- it felt so good to be somewhere like home!

They reached a door, and Loki could feel a trace of Seidr- obviously Thor's, because Thor had weaker Seidr than Loki. Thor didn't use it to lock the door- it was much too weak to do that. But perhaps to mark a room, for he suddenly felt a stronger, welcoming breeze of Seidr. Thor had obviously worked very hard to make it this powerful- Loki could make a marker this strong easily, but it would be very difficult for Thor. It also seemed familiar. Thor must have mimicked his style.

Loki grunted slightly as Thor set him down in a smaller room- a wardrobe, likely. Thor pushed his hands slightly down on Loki's shoulders, and departed. He could feel the air shift as they closed the door. Loki quickly sent out a breeze of Seidr to lock the door. The door would now actively resist being opened-and as long as Loki willed the door closed, it would remain closed.

He thought for a moment at the events that had happened. Within 24 hours , he had not only been freed from the Svartalfheim prison, but he had been taken to Midgard, inspected by a doctor, and was now hiding in a tiny room in Stark Tower.

Loki's eyes began to sting again. He began to whimper again. There was just no getting around the serpent's venom.

...

"Hey guys! Welcome back!"

Hawkeye sprawled out tiredly on the couch. "Hi, Tony," he mumbled into the leather. "How are you?"

"Pretty good- but nothing exciting ever happens when you're away."

Natasha's brow furrowed as she dumped Hawkeye unceremoniously onto the floor, and sat down on the couch herself. "What- you wanted chaos and calamity?"

Hawkeye was on his feet in an instant, and hovered over Natasha's head with a grim face.

"Well, come on. Status quo is boring, guys!" Tony set the glass he was holding on the table by the couch.

Hawkeye jumped up onto the back of the couch and lay down with his hands folded over his stomach and his legs dangling over the sides. It reminded Tony of the old Peanuts classics comics that he had seen oh-so-long ago.

"You guys want chow? Steve is somewhere around here."

"No, no. That's alright. I'll whip something up myself." Natasha stood again and began walking towards the kitchen area.

Hawkeye gave a devious chuckle, and rolled off of the back of the couch into the position he was in before.

Natasha rolled her eyes, and gave an offhand "Juvenile."

"Well, guys. It's good to have you back."

Natasha whirled around. "Why are you acting weird?"

Tony grabbed his glass, and took a swig, replying, "What's so weird about welcoming you back? It's not like I've ended the world, or anything. Why are YOU acting so weird, thinking that I'm acting weird?"

"Alright," Hawkeye sat up. "There IS something going on. Tony may babble, but he doesn't babble like that."

Natasha and Clint began to edge him into a corner. "What is going on?"

"Don't make me sic the AI on you. JARVIS has been pretty surly since his last update, you know."

Just then, there was a _fwoosh_ , and Steve walked into the room, Thor and Bruce hot on his heels.

Clint blinked and stared blankly before, "Oh! Thor. You're... you're back. So the three musketeers became four again. Fantastic."

Steve walked up to both of the SHIELD assassins. "Now just what _are_ you doing?"

Banner followed up with, "Interrogating Tony for intelligence won't get you anyplace, you know."

" _ **THANK YOU**_." Tony made a bravado gesture to drive his point home.

"He doesn't have any."

"Wait, _WHAT_?" Tony crossed his arms. "Well, thanks a _LOT_."

Natasha walked up to Steve, to a distance that even Thor would concede was a blatant violation of personal space.

"What's going on, Cap? I know that _you_ of all people don't like lying."

"Well, uh... there was a... we-"

Tony quickly walked past Steve, elbowing him in the side.

"-Hey! Look, Nat, Clint, we have a guest."

Hawkeye stood up. "A guest? What kind of guest? Please tell me that it's not another one of Tony's One-Night-Only girlfriends." He turned to Tony. "By the way, Tony, that last one? I heard you two through the vents. I had nightmares about that."

"No, our guest is not a girlfriend... errr... Uhmm..." Tony looked at Thor, one of the older, more R- rated Norse myths coming to his mind.

Thor spoke up. "What the Man of Iron means to say, is that our guest is staying with me, on my deck, but we truly did not want you to-"

Bruce continued Thor's sentence. "- _ **trouble**_ yourselves over it.

Natasha and Clint looked briefly at each other. Natasha shook her head. "You are all horrible liars."

"Hey," Tony interrupted. "We didn't tell any lies."

Clint paused for a moment. "You know, Nat- I think they're actually right. More like- horrible secret-keepers." He turned to Thor. "You know- I get the feeling you don't trust me to keep my cool. 'Course that isn't without reason, but still. What possessed you to bring him here anyways? And does Fury know?"

Tony drew Clint's attention away from the Asgardian Thunderer. "What do you know?"

"Loki."

All four Musketeers gave an 'Ooogh...'.

* * *

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